Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on Thursday delivered a rare marathon press conference at Zimbabwe House – the first round

table with the independent Press in a decade.

It was completely out of character for Mugabe to call a giant press conference with members of both the Public and Private Press, with the 86-year old President turning the event into a media extravaganza. A record number of reporters were accredited to the press conference, which lasted a full 3 1/2 hours.

The first half of the event saw Mugabe fielding dozens of questions and then taking some. Through the press conference, Mugabe conveyed his vision for the coming year on a wide range of issues. He gave signals to the ‘Zimbabwean bureaucracy,’ about his troubled government with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, and urged the media to promote the government to give positive signals to foreigners keen to invest in the country.

The press conference gave Mugabe a platform not only to outline policies, but also to showcase his detailed command of statistics and his skill at fending off tricky questions. He started his speech with a long list of achievements by the GNU, celebrating Zimbabwe’s ’s steady economic growth and unity.

On the whole, Mugabe – known for his occasionally sharp tongue and fiery speeches against foes – struck a conciliatory tone that many observers saw as an attempt to soften Zimbabwe’s image.

The GNU’s reputation has been hurt during the past year by bitter rows among the three political principals and by growing criticism over its human rights record and the sanctions debate.

But Mugabe said the principals were working well together.

“On a weekly basis, we meet here and have tea and snacks together. No more doubts about each other’s honesty,” he said.

Mugabe admitted authorities could do more to combat the rise of resurgent political violence and played down the fierce rows that have pitted his Zanu (PF) party and Tsvangirai’s MDC.

“The inclusive government has brought in us, as we operate, that element of virtue, to trust each other, to work with each other,” Miugabe told reporters during the so-called Meet The Press conference.

Mugabe urged the Press to “play a role in ensuring trust in principals filters down to the grassroots.”

“We should be sincere to the objectives we have set for ourselves under the GPA (global political agreement),” he said.  He railed against sanctions, ad praised the Oprime minister for speaking out openly against the measures.

He urged the establishment of a ”loud team”‘ to call for the removal of the measures, ad said Tsvngirai would do a better job getting tyhe sanctions lifted than himself.

“They (Western countries) will listen to him not me,” he said.

He also praised the work of the independent Press. His remarks, hardly a week after the arrest of a photojournalist filming the arrival of alleged coup plotters at the Rotten Row Magistrates Court, minimized the significance of the independent Press’ critical reporting, and shocked many observers, who contended Mugabe’s upbeat tone might have to do with charming the independent Press ahead of a crucial election on the horizon.

The media event resembled more a campaign speech than a press conference. The emphasis was on successes, and almost all the difficult issues facing the troubled inclusive government were only briefly mentioned or shunted aside.

As expected, Mugabe was grilled on who will follow him in the presidency and whether he was considering stepping down or stand for another term.

“If Zanu (PF) says yes, I will,” he told the news conference. Mugabe said the ongoing Constitution-making process was crucial to the next election, due in two years.

“Elections will be a product of the constitution-making process,” he said.”If the process successfully ends, there will be an election. If it fails, that too will lead to an election.”

Mugabe, however, did not fail to lash out at those he says unjustly attack his country from abroad. He angrily rejected suggestions that his indigenisation policies were hurting the economy and said the empowerment programme was absolutely justified.

Thursday’s media event bore little resemblance to a traditional press conference.It was more of a gala-presentation by the head of state.

The conference was indeed an occasion for Mugabe to a polish his image as an open, competent, and, at times, even charming president. Looking relaxed and confident, Mugabe cracked jokes and flirted with female journalists, drawing applause and rounds of laughter.